Fuddy-duddies joined journo on leave, visiting locales (8)

'fuddy-duddies' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'joined journo on leave visiting locales' is the wordplay.
'joined journo on' becomes 'suf' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'leave' says the letters should be written in reverse (I've seen 'left' mean this).
'visiting' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'locales' becomes 'spots' (I've seen this in another clue).
'suf' back-to-front is 'fus'.
'fus'+'spots'='FUSSPOTS'

Can you help me to learn more?